Mercator
Conformal, cylindrical. Meridians and parallels form a rectangular grid, and the spacing between parallels grows toward the poles, so polar regions are hugely enlarged.
Oceania · NRU · Country profile
Nauru: true size, area and map scale
Explore the country's geographic outline, see it in different projections and compare it with a familiar scale.
Simplified outline · Natural Earth21 km²
- Total surface area
- 21 km² 2024 edition
- Population
- 12,025 2025 data
- Population density
- 601.3 per km² Population ÷ land area
- Land area
- 20 km² 2023 data
- Capital
- Yaren Oceania
- Country code
- NRU ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 / UN M49
Explore the shape
Country shape under different projections
The same country, different ways to show the Earth. Each outline opens a map with this country selected.
Globe (Orthographic)
Neither equal-area nor conformal, perspective azimuthal. It looks like a photograph of the globe from space: only one hemisphere is visible, and areas near the edge of the disk are squeezed hard.
Equal Earth
Equal-area, pseudocylindrical. Parallels are straight lines, the poles are flat lines, and the sides of the map are gently rounded, much like Robinson.
Outlines fit their tiles. They show changes in shape, not areas at a shared scale. The Mercator value estimates area inflation at the country's centre.
Understand the scale
How large is Nauru?
A familiar reference, a similar area and a different latitude. Both outlines in each preview share the same scale.
NauruOther country
Compare outlines on the map
A familiar reference
Nauru vs Poland
Area ratio (Poland / Nauru): about 14,889.5.
Compare size 1:1Compare outlines on the map
Similar area
Nauru vs Monaco
Monaco: 2.084 km². Compare their areas.
Compare size 1:1Compare outlines on the map
A different latitude
Nauru vs Greenland
See how location affects the impression of size.
Compare size 1:1The numbers in context
Nauru: true size, population, and map scale without illusions
Nauru covers 21 km², ranking 198 out of 200 by area in this dataset. This is a very small territory at world scale, so precise comparisons are more revealing than a quick glance at an atlas. Within Oceania, that places it 8 out of 8.
The area of Poland is about 14,889 times larger. This comparison is deliberately simple: Poland works as an easy reference point, and then it makes sense to move toward a similarly sized country. By area, the closest match is Tuvalu.
More about area, population and location
The population is approximately 12,025 people, with an average density of 601.3/km². Nauru ranks 196 out of 197 by population and 10 out of 197 by density. That is very dense settlement, where even a small area can contain many daily routes, cities, and administrative boundaries.
Within its continent, Nauru represents about 0.36% of the area and about 1.9% of the population covered by this dataset. Its continental population rank is 7 out of 8, so area alone does not tell the full story.
Oceania teaches scale through distance and islands: area is only part of the story because spatial spread matters so much. That is why Nauru is best read through several lenses: raw numbers, an equal-scale outline, a comparison with Poland, and a matchup with Tuvalu. Then the map stops being a picture and starts becoming a tool for discovery.
If you want to remember the scale quickly, compare Nauru with a country of similar area and a country of similar population. By population, Tuvalu is a useful next clue.
#198AreaArea rank among 200 countries and territories with a verified area.
#8ContinentNauru covers about 0.36% of the area in Oceania.
#196PopulationAbout 12,025 people; continental rank 7 of 8.
601.3/km²DensityAverage people per square kilometer; density rank: #10 of 197.TuvaluClosest scaleThe most natural same-area outline comparison.The numeric values are used as comparative references for learning scale. Rankings include only countries and territories with a verified value in the selected sources.
Test your intuition
From map to challenge
Questions and sources
Frequently asked questions about size and location
What is the actual area of Nauru?
Nauru covers 21 km². In this dataset, that ranks 198 out of 200 by area, and 8 out of 8 within its continent. The area of Poland is about 14,889 times larger.
How many people live in Nauru, and how dense is it?
The population is approximately 12,025 people, with an average density of 601.3/km². Nauru ranks 196 out of 197 by population and 10 out of 197 by density. That is very dense settlement, where even a small area can contain many daily routes, cities, and administrative boundaries.
What should I compare Nauru with to understand its scale?
Two comparisons work especially well: Nauru vs Poland as a familiar reference point, and Nauru vs Tuvalu because their areas are very close. For population, Tuvalu is another useful comparison.
Do world maps show Nauru at the right scale?
Oceania teaches scale through distance and islands: area is only part of the story because spatial spread matters so much. That is why a country's position on the map can mislead, while same-scale outline comparison usually gives a better intuition than a classic atlas.
Why can Nauru look different in different map projections?
Every projection moves a globe onto a flat surface and must trade something away: shape, area, direction, or distance. On this page, you can compare the impression created by Mercator, orthographic, and equal-area views.
How should I use this page to remember the size of Nauru?
Start with the numbers, open a 1vs1 comparison with a similar country, and then try the size-illusion quiz. That sequence combines facts, visuals, and play, making the scale easier to remember.
Take a closer look at the data
Each value keeps its own reference year or source edition. Boundaries are simplified and are not suitable for geodetic measurements.
Keep exploring
Choose another perspective
Geometry: Natural Earth / world-atlas, public domain. Outlines simplified and transformed into map projections. Sources, licences and data coverage.